The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has firmly reiterated his opposition to LGBTQ+ activities, stating that such practices will not be accepted or legalised in Ghana. During a visit to Uganda, Speaker Bagbin emphasised that the cultural and moral fabric of Ghana does not support LGBTQ+ orientations.
He asserted that any attempts to introduce or normalise these practices represent a foreign imposition. “You can be sure that the world they wish to create and impose on us will not exist while we are alive. LGBTQ+ is not African, it is not natural, and God did not create it. This is an imposition that we must all resist,” he declared. His comments come as Ghana, like many other African nations, continues to debate controversies surrounding the criminalisation of LGBTQ+ activities.
In Ghana’s case, the anti-LGBTQ+ bill was passed by Parliament during the 8th Parliament but did not receive presidential assent before the end of the term. Although President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did not assent to the bill, he also did not refer it to the Supreme Court. Instead, legal challenges were filed by private individuals at the Supreme Court, questioning the constitutionality of the bill and aspects of the parliamentary procedure. The Court had not ruled on these cases by the end of the 8th Parliament, resulting in the bill lapsing.
By: Sammi Wiafe